Jan 12 - Exodus 4-8
Exodus
1Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"2Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?A staff," he replied.3The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.4Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.5"This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has appeared to you."6Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow.7"Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.8Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second.9But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."10Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."11The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."13But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."14Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.15You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.16He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.17But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."18Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."19Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."20So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.21The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.22Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,23and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'"24At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.25But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said.26So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to circumcision.)27The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.28Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform.29Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites,30and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people,31and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
1Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'"2Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."3Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword."4But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!"5Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."6That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people:7"You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw.8But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'9Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies."10Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw.11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'"12So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.13The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw."14The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?"15Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way?16Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people."17Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are-lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'18Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks."19The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day."20When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them,21and they said, "May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."22Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me?23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country."2God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD.3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens.5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.6"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.7I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'"9Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage.10Then the LORD said to Moses,11"Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country."12But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?"13Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.14These were the heads of their families: The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.16These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.17The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records.20Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zicri.22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.23Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.24The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.26It was this same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions."27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron.28Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt,29he said to him, "I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you."30But Moses said to the LORD, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?"
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.3But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,4he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.5And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."6Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.8The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,9"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake."10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.11Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:12Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.13Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.14Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.16Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened.17This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.18The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'"19The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt-over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs'-and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars."20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.22But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.23Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.24And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.25Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.2If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.3The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs.4The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.'"5Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'"6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.7But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."9Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile."10"Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God.11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile."12After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.13And the LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields.14They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them.15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.16Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats."17They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats.18But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals.19The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.20Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.21If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are.22"'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land.23I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.'"24And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.25Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land."26But Moses said, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?27We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us."28Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me."29Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."30Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,31and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained.32But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.